Device as a throwback or front compressor for tilting front filing drawers



1933- F. L. G. STRAUBEL DEVICE AS A THROWBACK 0R FRONT COMPRESSOR FOR TILTING' FRONT FILING DRAWERS Filed Aug. 12, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NOV. 14, 1933. F, STRAUBEL 1,935,582

' DEVICEAS A THROWBACK OR FRONT COMPRESSOR FOR TILTING FRONT FILING DRAWERS Filed Aug. 12, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 14, 1933 PATENT? OFFICE DEVICE AS A THROWBACK oa mom COMPRESSOR FOR TILTING FILING DRAWERS FRONT Frederick L. G. Straubel, Green Bay, Wia, as-

signor of one-eighth to 0. C. Straubel, Green Bay, Wia, and two-eightlis C. W. Straubel,

Youngstown, Ohio Application August 12, 1932. Serial No. 628,527

26 Claims. (01.129-26) The invention relates to filing drawers with tilting fronts requiring a device to throw back the vertically filed contents when closing the tiltable front and to keep them under compression .6. when the file is closed or not in use.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a compressor construction that is simple and positive in its action to compress the contents of the drawer when the tilting front is closed, and which will lie back against the inside face of the tilting front when the latter is open to provide free access to the drawer contents. In that connection it is proposed to provide an arrangement whereby, when the-tilting front is lb closed, pressure from the drawer contents will tend to hold the front more securely in its closed position. In other words, it is proposed to provide a construction wherein the compressor, carried by the tilting front, is better able to withi2il stand pressure from within the drawer to prevent the front from being accidentally sprung open. With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of .25 the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the ap- -i pended claims.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

' Figure 1 is a longitudinal side elevation of the inside front portion' of the drawer.

Figure 2 is a perspective outside view of thefront portion of the drawer partly cut away.

Figure 3 shows a portion of the compressor with its upper part formed as a bail.

A Figure 4 shows a portion of a modified compressor with a plate attached to a horizontal bar. 1 is the tiltable front pivotally attached to the drawer bottom 10 at 2 by means of hinges 27. 3 is a side wing with an outward projecting flange 4 at its top edge on a radius with the hinge at 2 and moving within the space provided by the top roll 22 of the side 9. This arrangement provides space between the wing .3 andthe side 9 to contain part of the rocker arm or lever 6 ,.50 pivotally attached to the side 9 at 11, and the link 5 pivotally attached to the rocker arm or lever 6 at 14 and to the wing 3 at 13. The lever 6 which is actuated by the coil spring 12 with an upward tension and which is attached to the side 9 at 15 and to the rear end of the lever 6 each side of the drawer.

at 16, will in connection with the link 5, hold the drawer front 1 in either an upright or outward tilted position as shown by solid andqdotted lines in Figure 1. The rear' upward projection '1 of the wing 3 is intended to limit the outward tilting of the front 1 when coming in contact with the pin 8 of the drawer side. The intermediate space between the top roll 22 and the inward projecting formation 23 of a follower slide runway 21 provides housing for the wing 3 with its mechanical parts against interference with the contents filed. The side wing 3 and its holding means 5--61112 may be duplicated at The front throwback or compressor 18 is designed to withstand the usual pressure brought to bear against its upper part by the contents filed, without forcing the front 1 outward.

According to the construction shown inFigures 1, 2 and 3, the compressor 18 is made in the form of a bail, the same including a horizontal member and depending side members, while Figure 4 shows a modified form of construction. In the modification the compressor includes a bar 26 carrying therewith a plate 28.

In both forms of construction, however, the essential characteristics of the compressor are maintained. In the form shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the compressor is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 19 which may be duplicated at opposite sides of the compressor, if desired. Likewise in Figure 4 the bar 26 may be formed at an angle to provide the arm 19. In both instances the arms 19 extend rearwardly from the compressor at substantially right-angles and their extremities are curved downwardly to facilitate the arm passing beneath the roller 20 fixed to the side wall of the drawer. The upper edge of each arm is also provided with a seat or depression 28 for receiving the roller 20, thereby 9 to assist in holding the compressor in its closed operative position when the tilted front is closed. As will be observed from Figures 1 and 2, the arms 19 are movably supported in the openings 24 of the side wings 3, thereby to permit the compressor to have a rocking or pivotal movement with reference to the tilting front, by which it is carried. The arms 19, in connection with the roller 20 fixed to a side wall of the drawer, serve to move the compressor 18 inwardly to its 9 drawer contents compressing position when the tilting front is closed. On the other hand, when 1 the tilting front is open and the arm 19 is withdrawn from beneath its roller 20, the compressor may fall back against the inside face of the tiltand also, as a matter of fact to insure this move ment, that is, the movement of the compressor to an out of the way position, when the tilting front is open, the compressor 18 (Figure 3) or 28 (Figure 4) may be provided with the spring elements 25. The arrangement of these springs is such that they have a tendency to force the body of the compressor against the inside face of the tilting front when the latter is open and the compressor is disengaged from the roller abutment 20. when the tilting front is closed, the springs 25 are, of course, placed under tension. The release of this tension when the front is pulled open, moves the compressor to its inoperative position.

Thus, when the tilting front is closed, outward pressure brought to bear against the top part of the compressor will have no eifect upon the outward tilting of the front, except a tendency to draw the front inward. In other words, outward pressure on the compressor by the drawer contents will be resisted by the arm 19 and the roller abutment 20. This arrangement, however does not'interfere with the release of the compressor nor the movement of the tilting front.

-When the tilting front is pulled open, the compressor will move with the tilting front and the arm 19 will be withdrawn from beneath the roller 20. The compressor 18 may then fall back to the dotted line position in Figure 1 due to the influence of the springs 25.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a distinctive feature of the invention resides in the positive means provided for operating the compressor both backwardly and forwardly. That is to say, the arm 19 and roller 20 will operate the compressor rearwardly into drawer contents compressing position while the springs 25 serve to move or operate the compressor for wardly.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a filing drawer, a fixed abutment on a drawer side wall, a tilting front, a compressor pivotally supported on the tilting front, and means carried by thecompressor adapted to engage beneath said fixed abutment.

2. In a filing drawer, a fixed roller abutment on a drawer side wall, a tilting front, a compressor movably supported on the tilting front, and a rearwardly extending member carried by the compressor to engage with the said fixed roller abutment to move the compressor to operative position and hold the tilting front in closed position.

3. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor movably carried by said front and having rearwardly extending portions, and means on the drawer adapted to be engaged by the said portions to actuate the compressor and hold the tilting front in closed position. 1

4. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor movably carried by said front and having rearwardly extending portions, and means on the drawer cooperating with the said rearwardly extending portions of the compressor when the tilting front is closed to resist pressure .able front. To assist in this latter movement,

of the drawer contents tending to move the tilting front to open position.

5. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, and a drawer contents compressor movably carried by said tilting front, said compressor including rearwardly extending members adapted to engage fixed elements on the drawer to move the compressor to drawer contents compressing position and also to hold the front, when closed against pressure of the drawer contents tending to force the front open.

6. In a filing drawer, the combination with a tilting front of spring-controlled lever means for releasably holding the tilting front in open or closed position, a compressor movably mounted on the tilting front, means on the drawer engageable by the compressor to hold the tilting front in position against pressure from the drawer contents tending to force thetilting front open.

7. A filing drawer including in combination, a tilting front, spring means for tensioning the tilting front in its movement and yieldably holding it in open or closed'position, a compressor pivotally carried by said front, and means on the compressor cooperating with a fixed abutment on the-drawer to actuate the compressor to engage the drawer contents and for holding the tilting front closed against pressure from the contents of the drawer.

8. In a filing drawer a tilting front, a wing carried by said front and having an opening, a compressor including a portion mounted in said opening to permit pivotal movement of the compressor, abutment means on the drawer, and means carried by the compressor adapted to engage with said abutment means.

9. In a filing drawer, abutment means on a drawer side wall, a tilting front,'a compressor movably mounted on the tilting front, and means carried by the compressor and adapted to engage beneath the said abutment means to actuate the compressor inwardly when the tilting front is moved inwardly.

10. A filing drawer of the class described including a tilting front, wings attached to said tilting front and having openings, a compressor having offset angular arm portions projecting through said openings in the wings, and rollers attached to the drawer sides for engaging said arm portions of the compressor to tilt the latter backward.

11. A filing drawer of the class described including a titlting front, side wings extending rearwardly from the inside face of the tilting front and having openings therein, a compressor, arms carried by the compressor and projecting through said openings thereby to mount the compressor pivotally with reference to the tilting front, said arms extending rearwardly from the compressor at substantially right angles, and roller abutments carried by the drawer sides and adapted to engage the upper sides of said arm portions when the tilting front is closed.

12. A filing drawer of the class described including a tilting front, a compressor comprising a body and an angularly oifset portion pivotally mounted on the tilting front, spring means carried by the compressor tending to move the body thereof toward the inside face of the tilting front,

and means on a side wall of the drawer for engaging the angularly offset portion of the compressor when the tilting front is closed.

13. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor movably mounted at the inner side of the tilting front, and spring means tending to force the compressor toward the said inner side of the tilting front.

14. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor movably mounted at the inner side of the tilting front, spring means tending to force the compressor toward the said inner side of the tilting front, and cooperating means respectively on the compressor and a side wall of the drawer to place said spring means under tension and force the compressor to its closed position when the tilting front is closed.

15. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a spring tensioned compressor pivotally mounted on the tilting front, a fixed abutment on a drawer side wall, and means carried by the compressor adapted to engage beneath said fixed abutment.

16. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor device carried by the tilting front, and means for operating the compressor device from one position to another according to the movement of the tilting front, said means comprising spring means carried by the compressor device and engageable with a portion of the tilting front to cause the compressor to lie against the inside, face of the front when tilted open, and cooperating means respectively on the compressor and a side wall of the drawer to cause the compressor to move to drawer contents compressing position when the tilting front is closed.

17. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor pivotally carried by the tilting front, an arm carried by the compressor and having a depressed portion, and an abutment carried by the drawer and lying in the path of movement of said arm and adapted to be engaged and disengaged by said am when the tilting front carrying the compressor is moved toward and from its closed 19. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor pivotally mounted on the tilting front, said-compressor comprising a bar having a rearwardly extending integral arm portion provided with a downwardly curved. extremity and a depressed seat between the extremity and the body of the bar, a compressor plate carried by the bar, and an abutment carried by a side wall of the drawer and adapted to engage said arm'when the tilting front is closed to hold the compressor plate in drawer contents compressing pomtion.

20. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a wing carried by the tilting front and having an opening, a compressor mounted for movement toward and from the tilting front, and compressor actuating means arranged between the wing and the side wall of the drawer and operatively connected with the compressor through the opening in the wing. v

FREDERICK L. G. STRAUBEL.

Ill 

